Ontario Human Rights Tribunal Could Change How Pregnancy Loss Treated

I suffered a miscarriage at 19.5 weeks gestation. I remember the nurses hustling around me discussing my "fetus," and the ultrasound technician talking about the "fetus." It seems absurd to classify my baby as a fetus, to not be able to "technically" say I had a stillbirth despite labouring and delivering my baby. At 19.5 weeks, a baby is around 14cm (almost 6") long. Look at your hand.

Send Allergies Packing

Our mild winter means spring allergies are already tickling your nose and making your eyes itch. Open windows bringing fresh air will also bring with them spring allergens — pollens, molds, spores and more. And just like every year, I've got even more tips for battling spring allergies.

Shh... Top Secret Ingredient Included!

I'm not exaggerating when I say this loaf is the best thing I've ever baked. It's pure loaf perfection. I've made some epic banana bread before, and I've even tossed in a few bluberries, but this? This is heaven.

How to Beat the Nasty Virus

I remember when I was about five years-old, I woke up completely unable to open my eyes. It was a terrifying Mary Ingalls-esque moment ("Pa, I can't see! I CAN'T SEE!"), and one I'll never forget. Turns out, I could see, once my mom kindly washed the crusty pus off my poor eyelids — I just pink eye. Dreaded pink eye. (And thankfully not blindness from Scarlet Fever or meningoencephalitis like poor Mary Ingalls apparently suffered.)

Anna Winburg, a doctoral student from Umeå University has discovered that many young students who report food allergies don't actually have them at all. In her recent study, Winburg examined hypersensitivity to foods such as dairy, eggs, fish and wheat in school-aged children in Sweden. She found that reported food allergies and sensitivities were an astounding eight times more common than actual confirmed allergies. That's . . .

Ask Prime Minister Trudeau to Remove Peanuts and Nuts from Airlines

Luke Sullivan, a 14 year-old from Coldwater, Ontario has a message for you: peanut and nut allergies affect 1 in 13 people and he's one of the ones at risk. He's started a petition with the intention of grabbing the attention of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. His request is simple: remove peanuts and nuts from all airlines and help save the lives of everyone with life-threatening allergies. Sullivan says:

Protect Your Accounts in Just a Couple Easy Steps

How much would you love someone having access to your Facebook account and all the private messages and content there? How about your Gmail? Imagine the damage someone could with with access to all your most personal information stored there (not to mention all your personal messages and emails). Ouch. I don't know about you, but the idea of some stranger combing through all that personal data makes my stomach turn.

Knowing is Half the Battle

So you're dealing with food allergies, which means you're an expert at reading labels, right? But what happens when foods are recalled because they contain potentially life-threatening allergens? Do you know how to protect your family?

Name That Tingle: Is it Love or Allergies?

The season of looooove will soon be upon us, which means we will soon be upon our loved ones. Or liked ones. Or ones that'll do because Valentine's Day is a crappy day to spend single (unless you're having a wicked fun Galentine's Day in which case you go, girl!).

Am I Playing Russian Roulette With My Son's Life?

I don't like reading these stories. I don't like sharing them, or writing about them, and I hate even more that these things happen at all. I cannot fathom what life is like for Bruce Kelly's family now, it's just so heartbreaking. The 22-year-old man died of anaphylaxis after eating chocolates that he'd eaten previously without issue. The problem was that Mr.

and we are pleasantly surprised!

Finally, there's an ad for AXE men's products that doesn't stink as much as the products themselves. Armed with a new ad agency, the line of products has come out with a brand new ad that shockingly isn't a horrible, sexist piece of junk. I never understood how they got away with their super sexist ads of the past - the idea was that men could spray the product on themselves and women would become brainless sex slaves for them. It would turn even the homeliest of men into irresistible hunks. Um, nope. No thanks.

Screw You, Expensive Cauliflower

Cauliflower prices in Canada are through the roof these days. Ringing in around $7 a head (whuuuuuut!?), the ubiquitous vegetable is the hottest topic these days. But listen, you guys: what's up with the cauliflower devotion? You've lost your damn minds, people.

When an Allergy Writer Makes a Huge Mistake

You'd think that being an allergy writer means I'm hyper-aware of allergens... and you'd be correct. I am extremely aware of all the risks, I am an expert level label-reader, and I take pride in educating others in how to properly live life while keeping those with food allergies safe. And yet, I made the mistake of a lifetime with my son.

Tolerance Key to Preventing Reactions

There's been a lot of buzz in the last couple years about a peanut patch that may offer tolerance for those who suffer severe peanut allergies. It's basically the same idea as a nicotine patch -- slap this little sticky patch on your arm, and small amounts of peanut protein will be absorbed into the skin, hopefully helping the body build a tolerance.

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-laaaachoooo

Hi, everyone, it's me, Debbie Downer again! I'm here to tell you that with the sparkle and joy of the Christmas holidays come allergens. Allergies often spike over the holiday season, since we're trapped inside with our allergens. As if the cold and snow this time of year wasn't depressing enough, we can't even get an allergy reprieve! But it's ok, I'm not just a bearer of bad news. I'm here with some tips for keeping your allergies at bay over the Christmas season:

Alexandria is a big fan of coffee, ice cream and road trips: all things that were highly restricted when her second child was born with severe food allergies. She's a writer, blogger, speaker, entrepreneur, wife, and mom who has a passion for sharing allergy support, research and experience. The only thing she doesn't share is her chocolate.